Outdated, antique, old-fashioned, kitsch. In our highly digital world, the humble record store has seemingly slipped into anachronistic vernacular, with records and other old-timey relics being the primary sustenance for the mythological ‘hipster’.
But down laneways and through arcades, record stores are quietly thriving. And what may set them apart from those that have since closed their doors is a willingness to embrace technology through social media and online retail, and by fostering a sense of community, thus welcoming in a whole new generation of music fans.
Beatdisc Records is a prime example of the new guard of record stores. From instore gigs, to strong relationships with like-minded small businesses such as Black Wire and Poison City Records – and of course, selling records – Beatdisc have carved out a new and engaging platform for themselves and their customers.
Peter Curnovic, the owner of Beatdisc, and his dog, Henry, and I are sitting in Parramatta’s Centenary Square, just a stroll away from the shop. The vibe is incredibly communal: through the sounds of the ever-expanding city, Parramatta is alive with construction, bustling farmer’s markets, children playing in the fountain, regulars spinning yarns, and people pausing every so often to smile at Henry.
After all, as the shop’s 20 Years Of Beatdisc video states, “Western Sydney really isn’t the most obvious of places for a record store like Beatdisc to thrive in, but it did”. Indeed, it’s the shop’s unique geography that Curnovic attributes in part to Beatdisc’s ongoing success. “There are no other stores out here anymore. We’re the only place here, we care about people and our customers, we keep the prices as low as we can, and we have really friendly staff – I hope that comes across. And the shows definitely set us apart, especially because there’s no venues in Parramatta at all.”
For Beatdisc to be operating after 22 years in a city without specified music venues is no mean feat.
For Beatdisc to be operating after 22 years in a city without specified music venues is no mean feat, as becomes increasingly clear while Curnovic talks through the store’s history and his involvement. It all began with a registered nurse working in a psychiatric hospital, hoping to build a career change. “A guy called Vic Aird opened the shop in ’95. At the time, he was a nurse and he just wanted to see if he could try something different.
“In the mid ’90s, he was a DJ – using CDs – and doing a booming business because all of this digital stuff wasn’t in yet. And he thought, ‘Oh, I might see if I can give a CD shop a go.’ So he opened it, quit his nursing job after 20 years, and it went really well. It was just purely second hand. And then I discovered the shop in ’98, as a young punk. I used to work just down there” – he gestures off down the centre of Parramatta – “and used to spend every lunch break [at Beatdisc].”
Vic offered Curnovic a full-time job straight out of high school, which he describes as “every teenager’s dream.” He also worked a few shifts at Vic’s other store, alongside another familiar face in Greater Sydney’s music scene, Chris Sammut. “Vic had a second shop at the time in Penrith as well, and I worked there a couple of days a week and then here the rest of the time, and eventually he sold the Penrith shop to Chris who turned it into Repressed Records, and that’s a really good success story because Chris has gone on to do incredible things with Vivid and everything else.”
Not long after, Curnovic began managing the Parramatta store and following complications with the health of Vic’s parents, bought the shop in 2008. “I turned it into more of a gig space, with more of a community vibe; a sort of a meeting place. Especially with the shows, it’s become a bit more of an institution. It always was, but I think even more so in the past decade.”
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Currently, Beatdisc average a gig every two to three weeks, but they remain very particular in what they’re looking for. “[Instores] only happen if it just works out. It’s not something I go and chase. It’s always gotta work for our community. Because it’s a lot of work to put them on, so it has to pay off – we’ve gotta make sure that people come.
“I’m happy to do them and I love doing them for everyone, but has to be the right lineup. Money-wise, [we make] next to nothing. We just do it for the community, which I think is very important.” While Curnovic concedes that instores may create exposure for the shop, their main purpose is putting love back into the community, and providing a live music experience in Parramatta when there is no-one else to do it.
The shop operates within council noise limits, residents don’t complain, and other business owners within the building think it’s great that the gigs bring people into the area.
This community-mindedness is the crux of Beatdisc’s success, and a testament to their two-decade run. The shop operates within council noise limits, residents don’t complain, and other business owners within the building think it’s great that the gigs bring people into the area – “we all get along” – which makes it an interesting counterpoint to the state of nightlife in the Sydney CBD. It’s more than a single-minded us-versus-them scenario: it’s more like a sharing of exposure, and Beatdisc’s instores don’t just benefit Beatdisc, but their neighbours, and Parramatta as a whole.
Curnovic is also quick to point out the importance of volunteers to Beatdisc’s instores. “That’s another important thing – I can’t do any of this stuff or any of the shows without volunteers. Because, as I say, we don’t make any money out of the shows, I can’t pay anyone to help, but everyone does. It’s a community effort. I basically provide the space, and everyone chips in, and it’s incredible.”
Indeed, everyone from the bands, to the sound engineers, photographers, and lighting, are all volunteers. “I might buy them dinner or something on the night, but I don’t get paid, and it’s just beautiful that someone’s happy to do it. And we transform the whole shop – it’s not just that the band comes in, sets up on stage and plays – it’s a whole thing. It’s all a big community effort, and if I didn’t have those people that help on a regular basis, I wouldn’t be able to do it. Community! It’s very important.”
In addition, all Beatdisc shows are all-ages, and the shop prides itself on its inclusivity. “We like to be inclusive of everyone – age, sex, whatever your orientation. Good records stores are like a community. And I think that’s the role a good record store plays – a place where you consume music, you can get to flick through the racks, meet like-minded people, have a good conversation with someone – potentially friendship. Especially with the shows, I know several bands who have formed through friendships made at Beatdisc and that’s just beautiful. I think that’s the main role that record stores play – not just to sell stuff.”
Curnovic’s community focus and passion for music in Parramatta has also seen him involved in live music indicatives beyond Beatdisc. With a new interest in live music and culture in Parramatta, the local council employed a Live Music Director for the first time, who partnered up with Curnovic to get bands playing across the city.
“So they employed a Live Music Director, which is pretty progressive on their part, because most councils wouldn’t, but I think they can see the promise of [what] live music brings to an area. We were trying to do a collaborative thing – at the Town Hall here actually – for a two or three-month block.
“I was looking to book some artists, and we would get other promoters and everything, and have a really awesome and eclectic mix of artists playing over that block. And basically, it just all fell apart, because people in council were like ‘Ooh, you can’t have rock music in a Town Hall’. And that was basically what it came down to and it was a real shame. We tried to save it by trying to get a pub on board, but people don’t want to take the risk.”
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The fact that these initiatives fell through points to a larger problem within societal attitudes towards music and civics – that music either lacks importance and relevance to society and business, or is too ‘high culture’ and thus looked down upon.
But at the same time, the council’s delegations go a long way in recognising the cultural and personal significance of live music. When asked what live music does for cities, Curnovic replies that it remains hugely important, citing a 2014 study by the University of Tasmania into the economic benefit of live music for Australia as a nation, that was brought to his attention by the Live Music Director at the time.
“If you’re coming from a council’s point of view where’s it’s basically dollars, he showed us this figure of this two or three year study the University of Tasmania did, of how great live music is for the country. When you put $1 in, it gets $3 back. For every $1 spent on live music, you get back threefold. So why don’t they make things happen? And when they’ve done things – when they had Paul Kelly here for Sydney Festival – that was awesome! I don’t know why they don’t keep on doing stuff like that and putting shows on in Centenary Square or Parramatta Park every month or even every quarter.”
In Beatdisc’s own context, it’s clear to see the potential of live music. The shop proves that if you build a space for bands, people will soon come. “We get 60 – 70 people at every show and it’s like, fuck, this city needs live music! There’s not enough venues – well, there’s no venues in Parramatta.
“Every other month in Sydney or the Inner West someone’s closing. And it’s good, a couple have opened – like the Lansdowne is doing shows again. But it’s important. You know it, my community knows it, our community knows it. Maybe in the future, I can hopefully look at a bigger venue or something, but that’s all time and money, and it has to happen at the right time too.”
But complications and lack of other venues aside, Beatdisc and their community are committed to continue doing what they’re doing. Parramatta is a huge CBD that is always growing, and if anyone wants to go to a gig or dig through some crates, they know where to go.
The exposure that they lend local and interstate bands as an alternative venue to the city is also invaluable, as a creative hub that proves that music can thrive in a city without proper venues – and that people will be there to see it and be a part of it, too. With that, Curnovic and co.’s hard work and dedication comes as no surprise.
“I love my job: providing a service to people that they get thorough enjoyment out of. And that’s why I do the shows as well, I get to see some of my favourite bands come to Parramatta, and play to people who love it as well.” That said, Curnovic does concede that while working in a record store is great, running a small business is tough and he doesn’t always get the time to switch off. “It would be nice to have a job where you just go in and then leave, but it’s not like that. It’s still enjoyable, I’m still my own boss. I can pay my mortgage, luckily. Not every small business owner can. I think it’s just great that I get to provide an outlet for people to consume music that they love and enjoy – because vinyl is forever, and we try and make it an experience when you come to Beatdisc. I think people can see that – our longevity says it all. It’s just great.”
Beatdisc’s next show features one of the world’s most wholesome lineups, Snape, Ted Danson With Wolves, Library Siesta and Coward Punch, on Friday March 16. Click here for more deets.
